8 Months Post-Op Question. . . .

February 7, 1999

Hello everyone

It has been a while since my last post, but I still monitor the list to see how

everyone is doing.

I have been back to work full time since September. And, for those of you who

are new to the list, I am really, really glad I had the surgery.

I still continue to have some problems and I am wondering if anyone else out

there is experiencing the same.

As most of you know, one of my major symptoms was daily horrible headaches. I

do not have them on a daily basis anymore. But, I have been getting about one a

month since surgery that is just a killer.

After surgery I developed a CSF leak. It did not show up until November. I had

swelling underneath the skin around the base of my incision.

About 3 weeks ago, I had the same thing happen. Now here is the weird thing. .

.. .

Last Wednesday the back of my head hurt, in about the same place I think where

my patch is. It's like sometimes I can feel the outline of the patch based on

the pain. It hurts just around the outside of the incision.

This pain was so bad, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, that I ended up with a

horrible headache Saturday morning. My husband desperately wanted to take me to

the ER Saturday morning, but everytime I moved I would vomit and I just could

not make it from the bedroom to the car.

Finally, sometime around 6:00pm I was able to make the trip to the hospital for

a demerol shot.

I feel much better today - but I am wondering if this is " normal " - I am still

possibly leaking some CSF - or could I be some how rejecting my patch? I have

a bovine patch.

My nsg is monitoring me and taking a wait and see approach. He told me there is

little he can do unless I am leaking fluid outside of the incision.

Every time I go in and they look at my incision, they say it looks really good.

Any feed back would be greatly appreciated.

Frustrated in Portland, Oregon.

Take care,

Kim

5mm, decompressed 6/12/98

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